The BEST Mango Torte in Manila

I got to know Ricky Morelos, one of dessertfirst’s loyal readers, when he emailed me to say that his family’s mango torte was just as good (perhaps better, but definitely different) from the one that I mentioned in my now (in)famous 10 Best Desserts in Manila post.

With a come-on like that, how could I not be intrigued? Anyway, a few months passed and then we bumped into each other at the San Lo Sunday market. Needless to say, I wasted no time getting to his house later that week.

The Morelos family runs Dulcelin, a made-to-order gourmet food business, from their home in Quezon City. Linda (Mrs. Morelos) is the heart and soul of the business, but she is quick to point out that she wouldn’t be where she is without the help of her two sons, Ricky and Mico.

Linda likes to joke: ”I used to say that I cook only ”˜once a year’ and that was during Christmas when my friends would ask me to bake fruitcake for them. They would even bring it abroad!” Specialty food quickly followed that well-traveled fruitcake: ”“ lengua, callos, paella, chicken galantina, etc. “I started cooking food first,” Linda recalls, “and then little by little the desserts in small batches, until I found myself baking bigger and bigger batches!”

That was 15 years ago. Linda and her staff have now been cooking and baking year-round for the past five years. It’s within this short time that Linda’s mango torte has exploded onto the dessert scene, making it her top seller. Indeed, she sells about 2,000 of them during the holiday season.

Dulcelin’s mango torte (P700/12” Â· P450/9”) is a study in perfect contrasts: set on a cashew-based nougatine, there are two alternating layers of cream then crust then an overlay of golden mango balls. Smooth then crunchy, hard then soft. It’s a dessert that’s difficult to get tired of.

The nougatine has a crumbly texture, and it’s so thin that it appears almost lattice-like. Also used in their strawberry shortcake as a filling, it’s so popular with customers that one woman even asked Linda if she ”˜sold just the nougatine.’

While Linda still bakes most of the cakes herself, she has six assistants and 12 during the Christmas rush. Linda acknowledges how large her business has gotten ”“ she’s built a brand-new kitchen at the back of her house, and she’s setting up a take-out shop at the new Tiendesitas along C-5, in addition to her stall at the San Lo Sunday market.

“Do you ever get so tired that you swear you never want to see another mango torte again?” I ask Linda half-jokingly.

“My love for baking has evolved, so much so that I love it even more now,” she smiles. I respect that so much, and am awed by it. Unbelievable in her reserves of energy and talent, perhaps the most astounding thing that Linda told me is that she doesn’t have a sweet tooth. (!) “I just like to bake,” she states simply. She says that she prefers to eat food and concedes to no favorites. “I like everything.”

Here are the desserts that Linda, Ricky, and Mico served when I had lunch with them. Because this is already a lengthy feature, I will post photos of the savory food next time.

Fruitcake
P320 each
This is what started it all. I confessed to Linda that fruitcake is not something I prefer to eat, but I’d give hers a chance. I’m sure glad I did. Unlike other fruitcakes where there’s just enough batter to hold all the petrified “assorteds” together, this cake is solid and moist. And not too many of those glazed fruits either.

Callebaut Chocolate Ganache Cake
P1,200/9”
How to describe this cake, this testament to the purest chocolate experience? Beneath that fancy piped ganache frosting lies a cake as black as a midnight desire, a crumb so soft it almost tumbles upon itself. Then there is that almost ethereal mousse filling that flows then fades. Please, this cake, I must have some more.

Strawberry Cake
P900/10”
This is a pink cloud laced with strawberries so juicy their very essence perfumes the cake, dribbling its blood red essence onto a pillow-soft crumb.

What other cake could be as striking in its unadorned state? Beautiful and bordering on burnished copper in color, this butter cake is substantial. Take a whiff. Mmm, the smoky mysteriousness of Irish Cream and the subtle sweetness of chocolate chip.

Caramel Pecan-Walnut Pie
P300/8”
I don’t exaggerate when I say that I can eat this pie everyday. I adore caramel and nuts and pie ”“ if you put them all together, it’s an encounter that for me, is akin to an orgiastic experience that you mustn’t wake me from. There is something quietly different about this pie: Linda told me what the secret ingredient was, and while I can’t tell you, let me just say that “it” unites the trinity of caramel, pecans and walnuts. Oh, it’s too much to bear. This pie is nothing short of sincerely delicious.

Comments

I’m a home baker, Lori. Can I be featured? Heh, I’m just kidding, but it’s a great feature. If I’m ever in Manila, the first thing I do will be to get my hands on either that mango torte or the strawberry cake.

Hi Lori!!! OHMYGOSH…Yes!!! I so totally agree with you about this mango torte. I ordered one for my birthday dinner last Sunday. And I tell you–it was wiped out in a few minutes. I don’t know Ricky Morelos personally (he took my order on the phone) but yes, I do agree 200% that theirs is a much better mango torte than Cureva’s at San Lo!!! 🙂 It is the BEST there is in Manila. Orgasmic I should say! 🙂

I’m going to have to try that pecan pie. I had a pretty good slice of pecan pie recently in a hotel in Cebu (they got it from a cakeshop called Helen’s, but if you want to try the pie, go to Eddie’s Hotel, on F. Manalo St.). Am now in the “have to have pecan pie” mode. Beautiful looking chocolate and irish cream cakes. This is a great post for getting holiday cakes/gifts. Thanks again, Lori!

Hi Lori! I love your features! You are my culinary cartographer 🙂 That chocolate cake and the walnut-pecan pie (love nut pies, oh my!) look to-die-for…and I live really close to Tiendesitas…mwhahaha! 🙂 Thanks for the tip!

I used to order mango torte regularly, until my son’s birthday last Oct. 9. I ordered two pies and I for once, nobody raved about it. Hardly anyone touched it. Strange, as there were 50 people in the house and only two kinds of dessert.I have to say something was definitely wrong. The quality went down. The nougat crust was smaller, thinner.I just thought I’d say it here to let Dulcelin know you lose customers when you charge higher and lower your quality.

Yes! This is the mango torte that I don’t have the name for all these years! 🙂 I think I see it being sold in Tea Square as well – Im pretty sure it is the same bec of the same distinctive box and I can’t recall if there’s anyone else who does the same mango torte 🙂

I haven’t tried their other cakes though because I never knew the baker for this until now 🙂 Might hop over to buy when my sugar rush comes….

Hi Lori! The mango torte of Dulcelin is really good. I like the crust very much. By the way, one of my friend who tried the mango torte of Cuerva said that the torte was actually lousy and nothing special and yet pretty expensive.

hi, lori. first off, just wanted to congratulate you on this great blog. after going through your archives i just had to post to agree with everyone else. i discovered dulcelin in the inquirer’s food section a while back. i ordered out of curiosity and never stopped since. my husband’s family loves their mango torte (a sunday lunch regular) and just recently, we stepped out of our comfort zone and tried their strawberry shortcake. definitely to die for. way better than costa brava’s! who would have thought ricky morelos was taking my order most times? turns out he’s my husband’s friend and hs batchmate. small world! but then again, it’s never too small for a dessert foodie. truly, it does come first. keep the sweets coming. i’d rather die happy than never have my sweets at all:)

we recently tried the dulcelin mango torte and found it disappointing, especially given its price. we wanted to taste test it before giving a few of them away for xmas. unfortunately, didnt pass muster.

the mango filling was quite hard and the nougatine layer on the bottom a little too sweet (though i could see why other people may like things sweeter than our preferences). having read all the raves here, i figure that this is a case of us tasting something that was put in a freezer for too long, while others may have had something fresher. the taste didn’t improve much though after it had thawed out. there are other similar desserts (e.g. mango de luna), w/c are still quite good even when frozen.

Hello! I found your blog through “delightful after”. That mango torte is heavenly! If only Manila is just around the corner.=( But thanks for the info so when I find myself back home I will look for this. My cousin and sister are starting to take being homebakers seriously. Needless to say, we are their guinea pigs and I am not complaining one bit.

My lolo lives beside tita Linda and we’ve been ordering her mango tortes since she started making it. WONDERFUL. I crave for them even more now that I’m in the US and haven’t had it in 2 years. Really worth your money. I promise.

Me and my 6 yr old daughter were about to attend a bday party at Buma Resto in Tiendesitas. I dont have any idea on what to give my bro in law. So I asked manong guard where can we buy a cake. He said the only cake that is sold here is the Mango Torte, asked for the location and bought the 12″ (if not mistaken) mango torte. We ended up eating the mango torte for dessert. And OMG! We were all amazed! It melted in our mouths slowly! We enjoyed eating this amazing dessert! So for my future bday gifts for my friends, relatives and family, I will always have this incredible mango torte on top of the list!

I had the Callebaut Chocolate Ganache Cake for my birthday and I must say that it was just ok, not really spectacular. I know Callebaut is really a good quality chocolate but somehow, there was a missing element in the cake. I find Sanlo’s Chocolate Cake and Polly’s much much better. It was worth a try but I don’t think I’ll crave for it again. Just my honest opinion 🙂

I am a great pecan pie lover and I never thought of adding walnuts…or for that matter any other nuts. This I will try. Thanks for the idea. By the way Strawberry cake is my second favorite, having that tonight!